Vintage Tackle Contest: The Alcedo Micron Reel

The photo that’s this week’s winner of our ongoing vintage tackle contest might be a little fuzzy, but of all the entries thus far, I think this one might take the cake for “jackpot” finds. It was sent in by Mack Boucher, who kept his description short and sweet, simply noting that he bought this old Alcedo Micron spinning reel at a garage sale for exactly 25 cents. Mack, get ready for a surprise.

I sent the photo to vintage tackle expert Dr. Todd Larson of The Whitefish Press and “Fishing For History” blog, along with 2 others and told him to pick the most interesting of the three. Here’s why he chose this reel. Dr. Todd says:

“The Alcedo Micron, an imported Italian spinning reel first brought to America around 1953, holds a place in fishing tackle history, as it was the first true ultra-light spinning reel. It was an expensive reel–selling for $35 in 1954–and extremely durable. It has developed a cult-like following. Even today, noted anglers like Joe Robinson and Dave Whitlock remove the bails from vintage Alcedo Microns and use them for what is sometimes called “extreme ultra-light” fishing, with 2 pound test line and 1/64-ounce lures. The Micron went through numerous permutations and the latest I can find it offered is 1974. They regularly sell for $125-$200 depending on model and condition. That’s a good return on a $.25 investment! A photo of a 1950s Alcedo Micron can be found here.”

Now that, Mack, is a score and a half! I’m a bit of home tackle tinkerer, so if I owned that reel, I’d clean it up and fish it. But you could sell it and get a shiny new reel to go with the shiny new pliers headed your way. Congrats!

If you’ve already sent me photos of your vintage tackle, keep checking every Thursday to see if I chose it for an appraisal by Dr. Todd. If you haven’t and want to enter the contest, email photos of your old tackle to fstackle@gmail.com, along with your name, mailing address, and story of how you acquired the gear. If I use it in a Thursday post, you get a pair of Berkley Aluminum Pliers (above) worth $50.